Author: Brandon Peoples

Riley County Commissioners tabled a proposal Thursday to increase the tipping fees at the transfer station. Assistant County Engineer Evan McMillan requested taking the current $55 rate per ton of solid waste to $64 or $65 per ton. McMillan estimates repairing the transfer station’s tipping floor would be about $200,000, while a fire monitoring system and scale replacement are both estimated to cost $90,000 each. Commissioner John Ford motioned to table the fee increase, favoring a more fluid payment system for users, who are currently only able to use a credit card. The Transfer Station moved away from cash payments…

A Beloit man, arrested following a fatal crash in Clay County, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and DUI. The Kansas Highway Patrol says the crash happened just before 7 a.m. Thursday on US 24, east of Clay Center. Jacob Zelinski, 27, was eastbound when his vehicle crossed the westbound lane, entered the north ditch and struck a vehicle on a driveway north of the highway. Zelinski fled on foot after the crash, but was located and arrested a short time later. The crash killed 82-year-old Dale Hammond, of Clay Center. Zelinski is charged with six total counts, including involuntary…

Manhattan businessman Frank Beer has become the third candidate to file for a seat on the Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 school board. According to a Friday news release, Beer intends to campaign on putting parents in control of their children’s public education, honoring taxpayer investments and opposing schools being “used for experiments with societal issues and scientific or historical revisionism.” Beer has been an active member of the community since 2001, including involvement in multiple organizations and being recognized as the 2006 Community Volunteer of the Year by the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife Jan were the…

Pottawatomie County officials have announced an emergency lane reduction has been put in place along Louisville Road at the Louisville Bridge over Rock Creek, due to deterioration on the bridge deck, which will need to be repaired. The lane reduction is about 3/4 of a mile east of Rockenham Road and a 1/2 mile west of Emile Road (between Flush Road and Highway 99). The eastbound lane is currently closed. Officials say vehicles exceeding a 10 foot width will not be allowed through the area. County officials say signage will soon be posted in that area.

City officials celebrated the reopening of the gateway into Aggieville Thursday. The Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon under the new Aggieville Archway on North Manhattan Ave., signifying that Aggieville is open for business. Aggieville Business Association Director Dennis Cook calls it a relief to have all streets leading into the district free of any construction, something that hasn’t happened since 2018. “We’ve been very fortunate. The businesses have all survived this. I won’t say they’ve thrived, but they have survived. We didn’t lose any businesses over this but they’re anxious,” he said. Businesses along North Manhattan Ave.,…

USD 383 board member Kristin Brighton has filed for re-election. The Manhattan businesswoman was first elected in 2019, and finished with the most votes among the candidates. In a Tuesday release, Brighton outlined her platform for re-election will focus heavily on efforts to raise student achievement. She also says she’d like to see Manhattan High School expand its current Career and Technical Education offerings and for the board to set aggressive goals for students to graduate with what’s called a “Diploma Plus,” which would essentially show documented real-world work experience in a chosen career field. During her first term, Brighton…

Groundbreaking for the new North Riley County EMS Station is scheduled for Monday in Leonardville. The facility will house a full-time staffed ambulance and crew. The building will include an apparatus bay, sleeping rooms, office, kitchen, a commons area and storage. The total budget for the project is about $867,000. The project was approved by Riley County commissioners in early 2022, following a push from north county residents, concerned with long response times for ambulance service. Schultz Construction is the contractor for construction. Anderson Knight Architects designed the facility. Construction is expected to be completed by September.

Riley County Police say a 39-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday near South 5th and Houston Streets on drug and interference charges. Nichole Costley was found in possession of meth during a traffic stop where she also gave a false name. She was booked on the aforementioned charges as well as possession drug paraphernalia and driving while suspended. Costley was issued an $8,000 bond. She also had a Shawnee County warrant for possession of an opiate and drug paraphernalia, which carried a $3,500 bond. She was no longer jailed as of Wednesday morning’s report.

Riley County Police are investigating after a teenager was attacked and battered Tuesday morning in the Northview area. Officers filed a report for aggravated battery and battery in the 2200 block of Green Ave. Police say four teenagers reportedly punched a 15-year-old boy several times and stomped on his head while he was on the ground. The extent of his injuries is unknown. Police say it wasn’t clear if the victim required a trip to the hospital. The suspects included 17- and 18-year-old males and two other unknown males, according to RCPD. Anyone with information should contact RCPD or Manhattan…

Tuesday’s Manhattan City Commission meeting was the final one for Usha Reddi, who stepped down after 10 years of service to Manhattan. Reddi, who was appointed earlier this year to serve the remainder of Sen. Tom Hawk’s term in the Kansas Senate, says she was able to juggle the two jobs this session with little challenge, noting the city commission job was her comfort zone these past four months. “I’ve always been one that if I take something off I put something back on it. When I first came on the city commission, I was also a full-time teacher and…